Select Local Merchants

Family patriarch Nordy Rockler opened the doors of his first store in 1954 to supply his fellow craftsmen with knowledge, friendly advice, and a large selection of tools for at-home woodworking projects. Now, the chain of retail outlets brims with more than 20,000 tools and specialized woodworking equipment. Next to a steely rainbow of hinges, casters, and screws, a supply of lumber and exotic hardwoods provides planks for building tree houses or just leaving around as a warning to uncooperative trees. The tenor buzz of power tools operated by newly knowledgeable guests drifts from educational sessions on operating equipment and woodworking.

For more than four decades, Weed Man's licensed and trained lawn-beautifying experts have tended to local lawns with custom blends of fertilizer, environmentally sound pest-control solutions, and knowledge gleaned from both living and working in the community. Created exclusively for Weed Man, the slow-release granular fertilizer nurtures lawns over a period of several weeks, and seeding and aeration promote continued green growth. Advice that aims to assist with local lawn problems helps to inform patrons online, illuminating seasonal troubles, gardening trends, and the astrological signs of various plants.

Amid the July heat of 1955, four brothers—Arnold, Horace, Howard, and Oreon Wesche—took ownership of the existing Overland Hardware, working tirelessly to keep their store well oiled until 1975 when the next generation of Wesches grabbed the reigns. Dedicated to upholding their forbearers' rigorous standards of friendly and personalized service, current owners Gregg Wesche and Don Burkhardt maintain the store’s old-fashioned sensibilities of customer service. The knowledgeable staff spends time explaining tools and their uses to shoppers before carrying out purchases to customers’ horses tied up out front. The affable crew stocks shelves with seasonal supplies for all manner of projects, from large-scale home repairs to garden hobbies. Champions of speedy yet meticulous workmanship, Overland Hardware’s jack-of-all-trades staff also performs multifarious in-store and on-location services, from cutting chip keys for cars to repairing screens smashed by thieves attempting to steal cooling pies off of windowsills.

True Value traces its origins back to 1910, and now boasts 4,500 independent retailers across the country—one of which perches locally on Hampton Avenue, ready to outfit DIYers, gardeners, and homeowners with the supplies their projects demand. Should the store's generously stocked shelves leave a specific screwdriver or grass seed to be desired, a staffer can order items from True Value's densely packed catalog at no extra charge. In addition to equipping jacks-of-all-trades, the skilled technicians at Southside True Value Hardware can be called upon to repair household items, such as lawn mowers that have lost their faith in the tenets of a neatly trimmed yard.

The professionals of Gateway Pest Control don't simply spray bugs and move on. They study pest behavior and biology, which better equips them to prevent future outbreaks and safeguard homes with as few chemicals as possible. To this end, each staff member fortifies homes and residences with the company's own brand of eco-friendly, integrated pest management that attacks pest control on multiple fronts. By removing pests' access to food and water, technicians keep large groups from taking refuge in homes and offices, and pesticides made from natural sources keep services from damaging Earth's precious resources, including plants, fresh air, and gravity.

The botanical beauticians at Maryland Heights Florist draw upon 40 years of flower whispering when arranging each month’s bouquet in the Flower-of-the-Month Club. Sign up a mantelpiece or just-married vase for a fresh, premade bouquet each month, and watch as interiors bloom anew with the colors of the season, such as oranges and browns during the fall and lilacs and Arbor Day greens during the spring. Customers can pick up their bouquets in-store during the last week of each month or upgrade to home delivery for an additional charge; check the store’s list of delivery areas to see if your home or inflatable vacation home falls within range.